21 Tostada Recipes That Are Crispy, Crunchy Perfection

Whether you’re looking for a simple way to mix things up on taco night or are simply craving the crunchy satisfaction that only a crisp corn tortilla can provide, tostadas are the answer. They’re easy to load up with all your favorite toppings—and we find them easier to eat than hard-shell tacos (which always crumble and make a huge mess). Whether you choose authentic Mexican recipes with shredded beef or chicken or an inspired take that features bacon and eggs, you’ll find that, served with some homemade guacamole and a margarita or two, tostadas make the perfect meal. You’ll find lots of ideas for topping your tortillas in this roundup but Marcela’s chicken tinga has to be one of our favorites. It’s easy to make at home and so full of flavor. Once you shred your chicken, warm it in a flavorful sauce made from chorizo, garlic, chipotle pepper and tomato. Then, simply spoon over crispy tortillas and enjoy.

Ceviche de camaron (shrimp ceviche) is easy to make and refreshing, and a crunchy tostada is a perfect way to serve it. Mexican ceviche is typically made with mild fish or shrimp that’s cooked by the acid in lime juice. In the Sinaloa region along the Sea of Cortez, seafood tostadas are often served topped with mayonnaise, the inspiration for the spicy mayo sauce in this recipe. You can find tostada shells premade at Mexican grocery stores but they’re quite easy to make yourself and delicious fresh. For best flavor be sure to use freshly squeezed lime juice (not bottled) in the ceviche and make sure your shrimp is super-fresh.

Crispy tostadas topped with flaky seasoned fish, creamy white beans and fresh toppings make this dish a quick, satisfying take on coastal flavors.

These hearty tostadas swap in crispy hash browns for the base, piled high with savory toppings for a fun, comfort-food twist. It’s a bold, satisfying mashup that’s perfect for breakfast, brunch or an easy dinner.

You might not think to add a shot of espresso to your steak marinade, but it gives the meat a deep, toasty flavor when cooked. We like to add a little chili powder to the marinade too, then grill the steak and serve over crunchy tostadas.

The secret to these tostadas is the quick ancho chile marinade. It comes together with just a handful of seasonings and ingredients — and gives the shrimp a wonderfully smoky flavor.

Marcela uses cooked, rotisserie chicken to make quick work of these tostadas. They come together in just 15 minutes, complete with all your favorite toppings: refried beans, avocado, queso fresco and more.

These quick-and-easy tostadas boast big flavor despite their simple preparation. The secret? Ingredients like bacon, fire-roasted tomatoes, chipotle pepper in adobo and ground cumin make the chicken taste nice and smoky.

Black beans and walnuts create the base for these tasty vegan tostadas. Together, they create a savory base with a texture that imitates ground meat. Top with crunchy pepitas, sweet yellow corn and red bell peppers and you've got a dinner everyone will love.

Marcela cooks her brisket in the slow cooker (along with plenty of flavorful ingredients) so that it’s juicy and fork-tender — perfect for shredding and piling high on crisp, corn tostada shells.

These vegetarian tostadas are so simple and delicious. They feature sweet potato, pineapple, cilantro, chipotle chile pepper and more. Topped with beans and shredded cabbage they’re every bit as filling as they are flavorful, too.

Want to change up your typical tostadas? Try charring your corn tortillas on an indoor grill pan instead of frying them in oil. That’s what Marcela does for this version, topped with shredded beef brisket.

For those who love breakfast for dinner, this recipe is for you! Crispy tostadas are topped with cheese, chorizo, an egg and a fresh pickled pico de gallo for the ultimate flavor-packed bite.

This recipe would be great with store-bought tortillas, but we like frying our own. They only take a minute or so to crisp up in the hot oil — and are extra flavorful and delicious.

What could be better than steak-and-onion tostadas that are ready in under an hour? How about ones that feature flavorful chili-coffee marinated steak?

If you’re looking to take your cooking skills to the next level, you’ll love this recipe. You pressure-cook your own octopus, pickle your own chile peppers and fry your own tortillas. It’s a project — but we promise it’s worth the effort!

These crispy tostadas are loaded with hearty, flavorful vegetables with a kick. For the refried bean base, we’ve added tender cauliflower and chipotle chilies for extra nourishment and spice. The tostadas are topped with grilled portobello mushrooms and poblano peppers and finished with chipotle salsa to reinforce that delicious smokey flavor.

These beef-and-veggie tostadas make the perfect weeknight meal. They’re loaded with good-for-you ingredients (like pinto beans and zucchini) and are on the table in a flash.

Satisfy your inner-chef with this skills-building recipe. Braised oxtails get nice and tender in the pressure cooker while you work on the other parts of the recipe: pickled onions and chile peppers, avocado crema and fried tortillas.

Take taco night in a whole new direction by loading all your favorite toppings onto a flat, crispy corn shell.